The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain
by Sauru Tsukiyumi Sanbi's Faeble
Summary: “Your favorite color is red. Why?” She handed him that umbrella just like everyone else, and then strode away into the rain. But then again, destiny never could leave us alone. AU.
1. Chapter 1

**This idea is torturing me! So I'll write. Don't know how long it'll be, but hey, writing is writing.**

**Disclaimer: I only own plot here, and Shiro. Steal from me, you die. **

* * *

Rain. Pounding down noisily on rooftops, shrouding the sky with an expanse of dark clouds. Then again, here it was so common, I'm not so sure that I've ever even seen a perfect blue sky. Half-covered, maybe, but never clear. Can't regret coming here though, I honestly don't think I'd even wish to leave.

I grew up here. I know the streets like the back of my hand. Every turn, every shop, and every_one._ Not that I was very sociable. My younger brother was all I had, along with a big, half-empty house and the rain.

My name is Itachi Uchiha, and I live here, in Amegakure, the village of rain.

* * *

Footsteps of many travelers echoed around the streets. The uneven grey cobblestones don't trip any of the citizens here. We took our first steps on these streets; we can move along here at any pace without worry. Of course, it was raining. No one spoke as we trudged down the road, heads bowed. Sometimes, I'd look up at the sky, hoping to see blue.

It was always grey. The buildings were grey, the roads were grey, people wore various shades of grey, and even the heavens above us were grey. I myself wore black, with our once- proud clan symbol on the back of my t-shirt.

Today was just normal; I was heading to work in the rain after school. This was my senior year in high school, but I feared that I would not be able to enter college because of my responsibility to take care of Sasuke, my little brother. I had an innate ability to learn, and received Distinguished Honors every marking period. Every day after school, I headed to the mine just out of town to work. It was all I could get. I was only 17 and had to support myself and my brother, who was about eleven when I got the job.

"Hey, Itachi!" I half-turned, knowing the voice of my brother. He ran up, spraying water all around him. I wiped some water off my face and waited for him to speak.

"Can I come down with you today?" he asked, hardening his gaze. My brother always did have a bullish attitude.

"Absolutely not," I said immediately, regretting the coldness in my voice, "It's too dangerous, Sasuke." I never had been able to show many emotions. Sometimes, I felt like a shell of myself, not even human. However, I tried my best and Sasuke's safety is more important than if he is mad at me or not.

"But you go! I just feel… useless…" he said, gritting his teeth and staring at his shoes. His fists balled up, shaking at his sides.

I turned to go, "But I'm older. Please, Sasuke, go home now before it gets any later," I worried for his safety on the streets after six, for the ruffians that came out at night were bold in this town. Finally, after a wordless standoff, he turned back in the direction of home. His grey shirt was sticking to his torso from the rain.

I watched him walk down the sidewalk. Then, out of an alley, a girl appeared in front of him. He stopped abruptly and looked up at her pale face. She held a dark blue umbrella over her head. The color was rare around here, and I just couldn't stop staring at it. I knew I looked like an idiot, crimson eyes widened slightly and unblinking, but I didn't care all that much. It started to irk me that I couldn't see her face as she bent over down to his height. From a distance, I saw her hand Sasuke the umbrella, cock her head to the side, and walk off in to mist and rain. Sasuke, who was surprised, continued on after a bit, shielding himself from the rain that poured from above.

* * *

Later that evening, I strode home exhausted at about twelve. Hands in my pockets, I avoided the alleys and seedy places until I reached our family home.

Or what used to be. Now only Sasuke and I lived there, along with haunted memories and the sound of rain pounding on the slate-grey roof. Unlocking the front door and opening it, I hung my black jacket on the doorknob of the closet and went into the kitchen.

Sasuke sat at the table, staring at a dark blue bundle at eye-level. It was the umbrella that girl had given him before. He lifted his head from the table when I came in. My hair dripped on the table slowly as I, too stared at the curious object. Sasuke looked at the umbrella, and then me again.

"Hey Itachi, do psychics exist?" I snapped out of my daze, shaking my head clear.

"I don't know, Sasuke. Why?"

"Well… you know, when she handed me this," he lifted the folded umbrella, "She said, 'Dark blue is your favorite color. Why?' and then just walked away before I could answer. Dark blue is my favorite color, so I wanted to know how she knew that." I once again stared at the umbrella, contemplating my answer.

"I… have no idea. Sorry, Sasuke." I said, hurriedly towel-drying my raven-black hair and heading for the stairs, "You should go to bed now, Sasuke."

"But tomorrow's Saturday!" he complained, but still got up and trudged upstairs. I went after him. He stalked into his room, closing the door behind him.

* * *

When he was younger, he always left the door open.

I walked into my own room. It was grey, just like everything else. Even the faded photograph that was placed on my bedside was black and white. A happy family, with a mother, father, and two sons. That was long time ago. About eight years ago, my father became mentally unstable and murdered my mother in front of my eyes. Sasuke had been at a friend's house, so I did the only thing I could do as my father shambled towards me with a knife in hand.

I had grabbed the handgun on the hallway table and fired. To this day, I remember the twisted smile on his face as fresh blood came from his lips. He had fallen and never gotten up, and so had my mother.

Thank god Sasuke had been away. I had woken up in the hospital screaming, and had been fiercely protective of him ever since. If something like that ever happened to him, I would most likely go insane, like my father. Now, I shield my heart from others. I suppose that after the betrayal of my father, I've only trusted my brother.

Insanity runs in our family, it seems. My uncle, Madara, gouged out his younger brother's eyes and watched and allowed him bleed to death. And then my father killed my mother.

I just wanted to protect Sasuke from that rage, that red glint of the eyes that screamed malice. I had already seen it; so why bother protecting myself anymore?

Slipping into my bed, I felt my eyes start to close. As my consciousness dimmed rapidly, I remembered that I forgot to ask Sasuke what she looked like. That umbrella girl.

* * *

The next day, I woke up early as always, checked on Sasuke (who was still sleeping… foolish little brother), and strode out into the rain again. I headed down to the grocery store. We needed milk, rice, eggs, and bread because Sasuke tended to raid the kitchen at night and unfortunately, so did I.

After a few minutes in the small shop, I was able to leave without being harassed by Sukie, a girl that seemed to enjoy stalking me. Her sister, Yukie, was better but was consequentially never around. Their younger sister, Karin, was just as annoying to Sasuke, but easier to remedy. I knew she'd probably straighten out eventually. Sukie, on the other hand… was insistent, annoying, and _always_ around.

The rain grew harder, but I ignored it for my sanity's sake. I gazed down at the ground in front of me as I walked leisurely through the fog. Suddenly I was stopped by a voice from behind.

"Are you wet?"

I turned around a little too fast. I did not recognize the voice, and therefore my brain was programmed to find it a threat.

There, under a dark red umbrella, was the umbrella girl. I resisted the urge to stare at the umbrella, because it _just happened to be my favorite color_…

She held out the black handle towards me, "Crimson is your favorite color. Why?" she asked, head cocked to the side slightly. And then she turned on her white rain boot clad heel and walked away.

Well, I wouldn't be getting any more wet now. I couldn't help but wonder. Who was she, and why was she handing out umbrellas to strangers in a town such as this? I looked after her white-clad form. She couldn't be much shorter than me. Her white dress hung down, clinging to her thighs from the rain.

But her eyes were blue, like the fictional sky that people like myself have never seen. Around the edges was a bright green, making her overall eye color a bright aqua. From far away, her hair looked like white or light grey, but when she had been standing right in front of me, I had seen the exotic cloud blue coloring. The odd color reminded me of a girl in Sasuke's class called Sakura. Sakura had bright bubblegum pink hair. One of the workers at the mine, Nagato, had a friend named Konan whom had azure blue hair. Kakashi, another fellow worker, had white hair that always looked silver in the half-light.

'_Crimson is your favorite color. Why?' _I remembered her query. Why was crimson my favorite color? It was the color of blood. Perhaps my own past had inspired my idiotic mind in its color choice, but how could I know?

* * *

Fighting my irrational want to chase her and ask why, I walked home. Sasuke was up when I came in, and he stared at the crimson umbrella.

"No way… you too?" he exclaimed, watching as I folded the umbrella up and placed it on the hall table.

"Yes…"

"Y'know, Naruto dropped by a minute ago and he had an orange one. He said she gave it to him." Sasuke continued. Naruto was a good friend of his, and sometimes I was a little regretful of my lack of social interaction. I have always hid behind my mask of indifference to hide my shyness. When I was younger, I never approached anyone else because of my sensitivity and shy nature. A defense mechanism, if you will. I glanced at the clock. The hands moved slowly towards twelve. On the weekends, I worked all day at the coal mine, so with one last look at my brother, I stepped outside again.

* * *

The mine was busy, and I was soon covered with soot. Hours passed and we settled down to eat lunch at about three o' clock. I sat with Kakashi, Nagato, a blond guy named Deidara, and a red-head called Sasori. I could consider them to be friends of mine, but since my heart already had lost people close to it, it refuses to register the fact that I indeed did have friends.

"My little sister is annoying, un!" Deidara complained. His long blond hair was pulled back into a ponytail, with some escaping in the front and covering his right eye. His eyes were grey-blue, and he was loud and angered easily. Not to mention he had an odd accent.

"Not as annoying as you…" Sasori, a calm, lucid thinker who argued constantly with Deidara, spoke up. He had messy red-brown hair and grey-green eyes that screamed, 'Leave me alone please.'

"Stop arguing, you two…" Kakashi, the oldest of all of us at twenty seven, ordered lazily. He was always late and constantly lost things. His white hair seemed to lean to the side a bit, and his one visible eye was black as night. A mast covered the bottom part of his face, effectively puzzling all those who saw him.

Nagato, the last of the group, was silent. His strawberry red hair covered his right eye like Deidara, but it was short in the back and choppy. His grey eyes countered the brightness of his ridiculous hair well. Nagato was shy and hardly ever spoke, like myself, although he wore no mask of indifference.

By now, Kakashi's halfhearted attempt to quell the impending argument had failed and Deidara was yelling a waving his hands in the air. His nails were dyed dark purple from a strange chemical in the mine that caused the strange effect on some individuals. Sasori, Nagato, and I also suffered the consequences of working here. Kakashi did not have a problem, but we were constantly asked why we had nail polish on.

* * *

The hours dragged on, filled with men yelling and jumping around with picks and buckets and such. Finally, the time to leave had come and I went out into the rain, allowing it to wash of my face and arms. Kakashi just took off his shirt and walked home with it slung over his shoulder. Nagato slunk home with his hands shoved in his pockets. Deidara and Sasori, who lived next door to each other, bickered the whole way home as they wiped of soot from their faces and hair.

The streets were eerily quiet at night. The flickering streetlights did nothing to quell my increased uneasiness. I knew all too well the dangers of being on the streets at this time. Only men and the occaisonal brave barmaid ventured on these streets. The rain had paused breifly, but the fog made my vision limited to directly in front of me.

Suddenly, my keen ears picked up a scuffling. It was two people, one most likely trying to get away from the other. The scuffling stopped, and light footsteps came rapidly in my direction. I recognized that sound…

The sound of rubber rain boots.

Not far behind was the clopping of heavy leather shoes. Narrowing my eyes, I walked forward a bit until two silhouettes came into my view. One was much, much larger, and bulky. It was clearly masculine. I tensed when I traced the form of the other person. Slim, and shapely, and most definitely female.

I wasn't stupid. The puzzle pieces fit together.

Rain boots… a girl, not much shorter than me…

It must be the Umbrella Girl.

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**Weelll? Depending on how this is recieved, I may update faster~! But remember, I also have Broken Like China so I'll be busy!**


	2. Chapter 2

'**Kay… I'm bored now so I'll write and pay heed to that evil plot bunny over there *points to slavering bunny with sharp teeth* eew, it's kinda disgusting…**

**Disclaimer: No, no, and no. DO I LOOK ASIAN?!**

* * *

~The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain~

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She was tensed up completely, and as I got closer I saw that she was without an umbrella for once. Her plain white skirt and Chinese-style shirt were only a bit wet, most likely from the fog. The man confronting her was Daisuke, a large, pigheaded brute whose father ran the butcher shop. Although he was larger than me and probably a lot stronger, I knew for a fact that I was faster… and smarter. The umbrella girl didn't speak when Daisuke yelled at her. He was hard to understand, and therefore I could deduce that he had been drinking before and was very, very drunk. The speech slur did not go unnoticed by either of us, it seems, and she had caught sight of me standing behind Daisuke. Trying her best not to give me away, she waited patiently until Daisuke's ramblings stopped.

"Aren't cha gonna answwer meh?" he slurred at her, waving his fat hands around.

"I wasn't going to…" she said, relaxing her tense stance. I walked up behind him silently. It was a habit of mine, making not a sound on even the creakiest flooring. Sasuke says I'm a ghost. Perhaps I am, although the thought is rather depressing. I scrutinized the pressure points in his neck, recalling which were fatal and which were paralyzing and whatnot. I chose to knock him out, but the point was rather hard to reach in his current position. I glanced at her quickly. She caught my crimson gaze for a moment, than stood up straight, looking as calm as possible. Daisuke straightened as well, and now the point was in plain sight for one such as I who knows where to look. I lifted my hand.

"But then again, it won't matter." She said as he fell to the ground with a loud thump. I just looked at her uncertainly. She frowned slightly at Daisuke, and shook her head, "What should we do with him?" she asked, referring to the fallen man. I frowned as well. It was a good point; if we left him here he'd get rained on. Pneumonia is easy to catch around here due to the unpleasant weather.

"I suppose I could tell his father where he is," I suggested, "I'm not able to carry him…" She nodded, still not looking me in the eye. The only times she had done so was when she gave me that umbrella and when she had noticed I was behind Daisuke. Sighing, I turned to go to the butcher's place. She followed me, and neither of us spoke a word. The fog hadn't let up, but at least it wasn't raining.

* * *

After telling the older man (who was even bigger than his son, and louder, if possible), we set off to home. Walking on the opposite sides of the road, we eventually reached my home, and she waved and kept walking.

"Thank you!"

* * *

Sasuke was inside, worried and flitting around. He almost knocked me over when I came in the front door. After a short lecture on never being late again, and maybe a few promises on my part, he sat at the old wooden table in the kitchen and stared at me. Unnerved, I raised an eyebrow.

"Where were you, anyway?" he asked, still pouting a little. I felt the side of my mouth twitch up a little at his ridiculous expression. I poured a glass of water and drank it while leaning against the counter. I sighed and closed my eyes wearily.

Sasuke was still glaring at me, "Come on, spit it out."

"Daisuke was drunk and harassing someone." I said carefully. Sasuke's onyx eyes widened, and he smirked.

"Isn't he that butcher's kid? How'd you deal with him? Also, who on earth would _let_ him harass them?" He fired the questions rapidly and effectively confusing me. Why must this happen at one in the morning?

"Yes. By poking his pressure point. The umbrella girl." I swallowed too much water and choked a bit after saying 'the umbrella girl.' I suppose it just slipped out. I had taken to referring to her as such anyway. Sasuke waited until I had stopped choking to remark, "Wow." He pulled on a loose thread, and the tablecloth shifted. I told him to stop while still coughing every few words.

"Why was she out so late, anyway? Is she crazy or something?" He suggested after an awkward silence. I looked up at the ceiling, a habit I had since I was younger. For some reason, the ceiling was just so much more interesting than questions. However, I had to ponder whether or not the umbrella girl really was crazy. It certainly was viable. She _did _hand out umbrellas and ask questions meant for no one to answer.

Which reminds me. Why is crimson my favorite color? I had dwelled on it before, but as I slipped upstairs with a 'Go to bed soon,' I realized I hadn't really ever figured it out.

* * *

My bedroom is really quite dark. I suppose I like the dark; it gives me a sense of security when others fear it. As if the hands of shadow shield me from the world. Sasuke had always been afraid of the dark, though. When he was younger, he used to come into my room at night when our parents were away. I would complain for a while, and then settle him on my own bed and sleep on the floor.

I stood in front of my bed stand, staring at that family whom I did not know. I should know them. They were my parents; my brother; myself, even. But no, I saw the resemblance in Sasuke to the boy in the picture, but not that other child there. I didn't know how, or even when exactly, but I had grown up since then. I was not a boy, I was an adult and I had responsibilities now. I picked up the photograph, scrutinizing the background. It was a park, with everything in motion and blurry behind us. The only person not moving was standing perfectly still in front of a tree. It was a little girl with light hair and her back towards the photographer. She had a long braid going down to her mid-back. Her straw hat had a white flower on it and her dress was moving in the wind.

Placing the photo back on the stand, I flopped down on the bed, forgetting any attempts to change or wash myself. It was late, the clock chimed three times. My eyelids felt made of lead, and I was slowly embraced by sleep and the darkness. The last thing I remember is pulling out my red hair tie and tossing it across the room.

* * *

_I was in the mine. The dim lights of the lanterns flickered, making the shadows dance. A resonating rumble shook the cavern. At this, I came to a realization:_

_One: The mine shaft I'm in is collapsing._

_Two: I'm going to die if I don't do something. _

_Racing to the end of the shaft, my footsteps echoed loudly as rubble started to fall from the ceiling behind me. Somehow, I felt this strange calm, almost as if this was what I wanted. I wanted to die. There was something missing in my heart, but I refused to acknowledge its presence. I stopped running, and turned around to face the swiftly falling stones. _

_**Stay there.**_

_No, run!_

_**No! Stay here, it'll all stop. No pain, or that feeling…**_

_Shut up! What about Sasuke?!_

_**He'll be fine. What more can you give him?**_

…

_**Heh, sucker…! Hey! Wha-!**_

"_Itachi?"_

_Who's…?_

"_Itachi!"_

_What's going on? I can't… feel my legs…_

"_Please wake up…"_

_Ugh… this is like… red… painful…_

"His legs were crushed, there's no way-"

"_Stop! Don't finish!"_

"Hey… we need to get out of here!"

"_Then go."_

"Huh?! What do you mean? You going to _stay_ here?!"

"Just leave her. She's an outsider anyway…"

_What? Outsider? _

"_Just go without me! Leave me alone!"_

"_You don't understand! I have nothing left anymore!"_

"_You can't…"_

"_You can't…"_

"_You can't…"_

"_Help me anymore!!!!"_

_The cavern was silent after that. The footsteps faded away, and I couldn't hear anything at all. The last thing I felt before the darkness was… water dripping on my face._

_Tears._

* * *

I woke up late that morning. My breath caught as I remembered the dream from before. I sat bolt upright and clenched the sheets in my fists. I looked up at the ceiling. Light streamed through the window.

I had… died.

In the mine. Someone had stayed with me until the shaft collapsed completely. That feeling of cool tears on my face… and then the darkness… the voices inside my head that told me to stay… It was terrifying. Writing it off as another oddity, I slipped off the bed and went to the bathroom to take a shower.

* * *

When I came downstairs, Sasuke was not in the kitchen as always. Puzzled, I drew back the front curtain with my hand and glanced outside. Sasuke was talking animatedly to Naruto, who had also brought his friend Kiba Inuzuka with him. The brown haired boy was bonking Naruto on the head, presumably for a particularly stupid comment or action. Sighing, I let the curtain fall back into place and paced back to the kitchen. Pouring a cup of coffee, I was just about to sit when Sasuke burst in with the other two.

"Hey Itachi!" He said, obviously preparing to ask me something I most likely will not like, "Can we go visit Kiba's place today?" I inwardly groaned and bashed my head on the cabinet. Please kill me now.

The Inuzukas live above their family run bar, which is a prime spot for ruffians at any time of day. I made it a habit to go with the boys every time the visited for fear of a drunken brawl. Drunks were not selective on targets; younger boys like them were just another target. Therefore, the many times the boys went I went too. I had gotten to know Kiba's elder sister Hana well over the years, and she was tough as nails and _loud_. I suppose you must be, after serving in a bar all your young life. She was about my age. Both siblings had the clan tattoo on their faces, red twin triangles facing downwards on their cheeks.

Sasuke was staring at me. I must have spaced out.

"Well?"

Sigh… Fine. I walked towards my room. I wasn't fully dressed yet anyway.

"Wait a minute, Sasuke. I'll be back."

* * *

The bar was loud and a bit dark. Hana bustled about, slapping men and serving drinks. The girl, also brown-haired like her brother, greeted the boys and shook her head at the unruly population of her bar. Their mother, Tsume, was drunk herself, but just as fierce as her daughter. Kiba led us upstairs, with Naruto running up ahead and tripping constantly.

"Ehhh?! You again?!" He suddenly exclaimed. Hana came up behind us. She smirked.

"Yeah, she's an old friend of mine. She's staying here for a while. Everyone, this is Shiro."

I looked up the steps, and there she was.

Umbrella Girl, indeed.

* * *

**I. WAS. BORED. Please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own Naruto… just Shiro and the plot.**

* * *

~The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain~

3

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The girl at the top of the stairs was nervous. Her large aqua eyes were wide and her right hand was holding the fabric of her white skirt tightly. Hana shook her head and rolled her eyes. Obviously this was the usual reaction to strangers. I looked at the Inuzuka out of the corner of my eye and she nodded at my unasked question. I frowned. That wasn't what I was looking for. I in fact was wondering who exactly this Shiro was. Yes, that was her name, but a name only told you what to call someone and nothing else.

"Well, Shiro. These are my friends, so relax, OK?" Hana said, stifling a giggle as the fair girl's posture relaxed. I resisted the urge to label her as 'The Umbrella Girl' and instead call her by name. Eventually, conditioning wore out and I managed to put a name to her face.

"Let's not clog the stairs. Come on, move it suckers!" Hana exclaimed suddenly, pushing the younger boys up the narrow passageway. Kiba grabbed the other young woman's hand and pulled her with him. Shiro (I had to keep reminding myself of her name) let herself be tugged along, even though she looked so fragile. Like a piece of china, waiting to break into a million fragments. Naruto was awed by the girl; I'm not sure why. The boy was just so confusing. In fact, even Sasuke seemed to be drawn to her. My own mind was screaming at me to get away from her and I didn't know why. On second thought, my mind had a rift inside it.

_Get away…_

**Stay…**

* * *

Needless to say, I was stuck in between an inner argument. Finally, after Hana led us into the main room of the upper level, the kitchen, I was able to ignore both annoying opinions. Once inside, the boys ran off to Kiba's room. The kitchen was silent until Hana, whom had gone up with her brother to give death threats, returned.

"Phew, those little imbeciles…"

Shiro smothered her own giggle as Hana cracked up. I raised my eyebrow. I never had understood girls very well. I was 'socially inept' as my younger brother put it. Hana caught my confusion and tried to explain.

"Sorry 'bout that. Shiro here and I have this longstanding argument on whether those idiots are smart or not. I think they're stupid as rocks, but Ms. Nice Person here thinks otherwise. I dunno, what do you think Itachi?"

I leaned back in my chair. Suddenly the ceiling was so very interesting again… I blinked slowly, and thought about it for a minute.

"I believe that they are just… naïve. When they get older, they won't be as…," I searched for the right word, but was interrupted by Hana.

"Stupid? Idiotic? _Moronic?_ For god's sake Itachi, you don't have to plan out every word you say. Don't be a robot. Oh, and you always do that. Why?" She snapped. I stopped leaning back and staring at the ceiling. So she had noticed…

"Some of the most important things people have ever said were not planned," Both Hana and I turned to Shiro, who was waiting for the tea kettle to whistle. The copper pot had many dents, most likely from Tsume, who had certain issues with teapots.

"Oh god, now she's gonna go all sage on us. Did you plan that?" Hana groaned. She was by far the loudest and most talkative out of all of us.

Shiro laughed, "No, Hana. I didn't plan to annoy you," she turned around and her eyes sparkled mischievously, "But I could if you want…" Hana snorted and muttered something under breath. Then, she was jolted out of her irritation by the shrill whistle of the teapot. The copper pot announced it's readiness like a bird. Shiro lifted it of the stove and expertly flicked off the cap. She asked us if we wanted some, and since I didn't get my coffee this morning, I accepted. Caffeine was a godsend when you live with your younger brother.

* * *

It was a while later that the boys came down. Hana grabbed them all by their collars and forcefully sat them down.

"I don't believe that we were introduced properly. So I'll start now. Guys, as I said before, this is Shiro. She's staying here with her brother… who is your age," she paused, and then continued, "Okay, now introduce yourselves snappish. Kiba, you already know her seeing as she LIVES here so you don't have to."

Naruto beat Sasuke to speaking, as always, "Hi! I'm Naruto Uzumaki and I live down at the shore with my mom and dad and grandparents! DATTEBA-" Sasuke bonked him over the head before he finished his loud 'dattebayo!'

"My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I live with my brother," he cast a sidelong glance at me, and I glare at him. I just knew he had been about to jab a finger at me. Honestly, I don't know why or how both of us are still alive.

I sighed. I really didn't like meeting new people.

"Oh, yeah. That's Itachi. I'll answer for him because he's a non-social robot. He's Sasuke's brother." I glared at Hana. More than meeting new people, I hated being interrupted. Hana snickered at my reaction. I glared at her and she stopped. Shiro just watched the whole scene with an amused smile on her face. Suddenly, her head snapped up towards the door. She picked up her empty mug and placed it in the sink. She opened the kitchen door and waited- out of the way, of course.

A black whirlwind came through the door about five second later. When our minds were able to comprehend that a human being was standing in the door, we all blinked simultaneously.

"What's with all the blank stares? I'm kinda on time for once…" The boy, who was only about Sasuke's age, remarked sarcastically. I remembered something Hana said earlier about Shiro having a brother, but this kid looked nothing like the mild baby-blue haired girl. He had bright red eyes with pinprick pupils and wild, spiky black hair. His bangs covered the left half of his face and reached below his chin. The rest was a bit longer than Kiba's or Naruto's, and overall he was rather rough- looking. Or he would be, if it wasn't for the fact that he was sickly pale.

"Guys, this is my younger brother Hideo," Shiro spoke up, closing the door behind him. He hopped up and sat on the counter swinging his legs back and forth. Shiro went back to her seat next to Hana.

"Hideo, where were you?" Shiro asked, staring the boy down. I could've sworn his eye twitched. I knew what was going on. It was a silent sibling battle, something I had plenty of experience in myself. Sasuke and I were constantly fighting, but with two boys it was a given. Especially two as different as Sasuke and myself.

"Uhh… Actually, I was in the basement," He replied. She studied him for signs of lying before nodding and glancing at the clock.

"Hana, it's time for dinner. Weren't you going to go and pick up some flour?" Shiro inquired carefully.

"CRAP! Erhem, I mean, crap. Well… come on you guys, let's go!" Hana yelled, motioning to both myself and Shiro. Said girl just smiled a gentle smile, shrugged, and grabbed an umbrella by the door. This one was white, with a light wood handle. I looked at the handle more closely. It was worn in places, and obviously well-used.

* * *

We strode out the door with the boys trailing behind. As we passed through the bar, several people tried to stop Hana, but most just got smacked upside the head. The dark mahogany paneling shone in the light emitting from a couple of lanterns and an old light bulb. I turned at a loud crash to see that Hana was throwing out a few drunkards.

"-AND DON'T YOU EVER TALK TO HER AGAIN, YA GOT THAT SCUM?!" I looked over at Sasuke for a fill-in, and he shook his head in wonder at Hana's extremely violent outburst.

"They said something to Shiro… I couldn't hear over all the noise. But man, Kiba, is your sister scary or what? I thought she was gonna kill them!" he said quietly. Kiba shook his head as well.

"I've never seen her so mad before… except maybe when Deidara got picked on 'cause he looked like a girl…" Kiba replied earnestly. I almost smiled at that. Hana seemed to have taken a liking to the loud blond. However, if they ever were in the same room I think I'd need earplugs… or a straightjacket or two.

* * *

When we finally got outside, it was raining again. Shiro opened her umbrella and handed it to our younger siblings. The four boys quarreled over space until Hana told them to 'Shut up now or I'll kill you.' That made them quiet- always take Hana Inuzuka's threats seriously. Especially when she's in a bad mood. Shiro just walked next to her silently, looking down at the ground. The water in the streets splashed on her rubber boots. Today, they were a purple, light green, and grey plaid print on a light purple base.

It was when I looked up at the sky when I noticed something curious. The regular townsfolk were avoiding our group. I walked a bit faster to catch up with the two girls. Hana had a grave look on her normally carefree face, and Shiro had her head down, bangs shielding her face. Hana glanced at me, knowing full well that I had noticed the odd behavior.

"I know what it is." Both of us turned our heads at the sound of Shiro's voice. The nomally gentle, kind tone was dampened by sadness.

"It's because I'm an outsider…" she said, and Hana marched right over to the other people on the street. They looked at her as if she was crazy. Maybe she was, because she started telling them off loudly. I stayed with Shiro. My normally stoic heart went out to the palpable loneliness that radiated off her. After a minute, I noticed that Hana was still fuming at the passersby while the boys gave her backup. I heard a sound next to me. She was looking at the grey sky. Water was dripping off the umbrella girl's (this wasn't Shiro; no, this was the umbrella girl) upturned face.

And perhaps something else. Tears. She sniffed miserably.

"She shouldn't do that. It'll only cause trouble…" she croaked, gazing at Hana with shining eyes. That shine was the coating of tears that threatened to fall any moment. I knew she was choking inside, that lump in your throat that is impossible to dislodge, hard to overcome, and easy to give in to. The last time I had cried was that fateful night when my family fell to pieces, shredded by the insanity of the Uchiha clan. That night, I had given in to the flood of tears until none were left. But for some reason when she looked like that, it made my throat tighten a bit as well.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. At least I wasn't tongue-tied.

Suddenly, in a flurry of movement, she shook her head so violently her shining wet hair whipped around, turned around and hugged me, sobbing. I just stood there. She obviously just needed a root to reality, and I happened to be the only one there. She shuddered evey now and then, but made no sound whatsoever.

When I felt her knees start to buckle, I pried her off me and lowered her to the ground. Hana finally came over, and kneeled next to her friend. Shiro sat with her legs half-folded beneath her and her face in her hands. Hana frowned at the other teen.

"You've been holding that in for how long now, Shiro?"

Shiro looked up at Hana's concerned face.

"Ten years, Hana. Ten _years…" _

…And then she fell.

* * *

**I actually have nothing to say other than the fact I have nothing to say. REVIEW PLEASE!**


	4. Chapter 4

~The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain~

4

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We brought her to the closest safe place- which happened to be my house. Hana was strangely quiet after the fiasco earlier, as were the younger boys. I was silent as always. Hideo kept staring at the ground as he walked.

Upon entering m house, I put Shiro down on the couch and turned some lights on. I had carried her back. I felt some kind of responsibility, I suppose, after her meltdown on my shirt. She was just so odd, seemingly strong until something snapped. I sat down in the armchair that my father used to read the newspaper in, directly across from the couch. My mother had always read her books there when my father was reading the news. When I had asked why, she didn't answer other than her gentle smile and a shake of her head.

* * *

Hana and the boys had gone to get a doctor, despite Hideo's protests.

"She's fine, guys. Seriously. Ugh, fine. Let me come with you," is what he said before being pulled out the door. I was instructed to watch over her while the others went out to Naruto's place. Naruto's grandmother, Tsunade, happened to be a very prestigious doctor. The blond woman looked extremely young for her age, as did her husband, Jiraya. Jiraya was, unfortunately, a lecher and Tsunade usually did not take well to that. Then again, she had a fetish for alcohol. Both had their fair share of faults, but overall they were very good people.

I just hoped Tsunade didn't bring Jiraya along. I glanced nervously at the unconscious girl on my couch and decided to stay here if he did come. The older man generally tried to spy on Tsunade while she removed unnecessary clothing from her patient. If that happened, I'd just follow him around so that he had no choice but be good.

* * *

The door opened and I silently complained about the lack of courtesy in this town. After taking out my uncharacteristic anger tantrum by thinking of how many ways I could escape from Sukie at school, I let my attention come back to the scene at hand. Hana was back, with the boys and Tsunade… who had indeed brought Jiraya. I glared at him, and he grinned. He was, I decided, thinking evil thoughts. When Tsunade told us boys to leave the room, I got up and followed the white-haired man out. Naruto had obviously also been anticipating this, and started to follow his grandfather as well. I glared at Jiraya until he sat down at one of the kitchen chairs. I recognized it as the one that you could see into the living room from. I slipped into the chair across from him, effectively blocking any view he had into the other room.

After that, it was a silent stare down. The boys snickered as they watched us glare at each other. Finally, Hideo decided to be annoying and nearly took my nose off by slamming a book down in between us. My head snapped side ways to glare at him, but he motioned to the other room with his head. The girls were bringing Shiro upstairs. I cast a sidelong glance at the younger boy. So the book was to block Jiraya off completely.

"Hey, you can move that thing now, kid!"

Hideo stifled a snigger and lifted the book off the table. Hana knew my house pretty well, so she had most likely found one of the vacant rooms to put Shiro in.

When they came down later, Tsunade took one look at her husband and then at Hideo and me and burst out laughing. Hana soon started as well, and soon everyone else but myself and Hideo were laughing. The two of us just blinked and wondered what was so funny.

"Ha! I knew this would happen if I brought Jiraya with me! You," she pointed at Hideo with a manicured fingernail, "Are her brother. And you, Itachi, have no excuse for being like that." I just replied with a blank look. I had no idea what she meant, and didn't waste time trying to figure it out.

* * *

Soon, it was time for everyone to leave. Hana left with a quiet warning on behalf of Shiro. She grabbed Kiba by the collar of his grey shirt and dragged him back to their house. Tsunade, Jiraya, and Naruto left for their house on the shore while Sasuke and I got ready to go to bed.

I went upstairs after making sure Sasuke wasn't still up and about. I was walking down the hallway until I passed my mother's room. She used to sleep elsewhere when my father snored, and when she did I would watch her light go on, off. The door was slightly ajar. Usually I had it closed. Painful memories surfaced whenever I saw that room. I checked inside.

The blue bed was made, but rumpled like someone had been sitting on it. I wondered where the umbrella girl had gone. I knew Hana had brought her here, or else she'd be in my room or Sasuke's. I kept my parents' room locked.

Motion from the far side of the room caught my keen eyes. She was sitting in the window seat. The moon was full, and closer than usual. Judging by appearance, she had just gotten up. Her hair was mussed up and she hadn't noticed me yet. I knocked on the wall next to the door. Her head snapped over to the doorway.

It was that blue again, I think, that got me. I don't know why, but it was almost luminescent in the dark. So I just stared. So did she. I knew Naruto had blue eyes as well, but it was different. That blue was just blue, like the ocean. This blue was like grass, the sky, the sea, and even a bit of a rainbow.

Meanwhile, she stared as well.

"Red. Your eyes are red," she said. I blinked.

"Your eyes are blue," I replied. Now it was her turn to blink. She finally nodded.

"Did you figure it out yet?" she asked. She rested her head on her knees, eyes wide and still staring. I sighed and looked out the window. I knew what she meant. Her question. Why? I surveyed the room. The dark room held little color. But there was something on the bed stand… My mother's ring. It was a ruby, still bright red after all these years. The girl must've followed my gaze as well, she looked owlish in the dark with her eyes wide and staring like that. My eyes became unfocused as I remembered my mother with that ring. She wore it every day, as much as her wedding ring even.

We stayed like that for a while, until I came back to reality and she hopped off the window seat. Her bare feet made no sound on the wooden floor. I glanced at her. Her hair was down. Usually it was in a high ponytail, with some escaping to hand down at the side of her face.

"Not yet," I replied. She nodded slowly.

"It's not an easy question, is it?" she sighed. Suddenly, she went back to being Shiro. But I knew that the umbrella girl was right underneath. Flitting back and forth with wide eyes.

"I'm sorry… That hasn't happened for a long time," she said, trailing off with a misty look in her eye. I shook my head and started for the door. It was about eleven. She sat back down in the window seat again, and I closed the door. I again collapsed on my bed.

* * *

I pulled out my hair tie. After staring at it a moment, I realized it was red. My mother loved red. It was her favorite color. She had given me the tie a couple days before she died. It never even crossed my mind before. I put it down on the side table, in front of the picture.

Maybe that was it. My mother's love of red might've rubbed off on me. After thinking a moment, I tried to remember m family before the incident.

I found that I kept mixing up my mother and the umbrella girl.

* * *

**Honestly, I have no clue how to write non-actiony, sappy stuff. HELP MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**


	5. GOMENASAI:: An Author Note

**GOMENASAI!**

**I'm so sorry I haven't updated for a while but I'll be back in a while. I just ran out of steam for this right now, so please bear with me. And I've been reading Fullmetal Alchemist... is that a good excuse?**

***Gets whacked with a shoe***

**Hehehehe... guess not then.**

**-The Author who has no life but somehow ran out of creative steam (That stuff is better than any dumb drug in my book lol), **

** -Shiro-chan**


	6. Chapter 5

**Yes, I'm back in black… actually, I'm wearing blue. Sorry. But I AM back.

* * *

**

~The Umbrella Girl :: In the Rain~

-

-

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Sunlight filtered through my curtains, making me throw my arm over my face. Finally, the rational voice in my head persuaded me to get up. While I got dressed, I happened to glance out the window. The blue curtains framed the half-cloudy sky.

Wait… blue? I stared, bewildered, at those curtains until I convinced myself that I just hadn't ever noticed. Hadn't noticed… for my whole life? It was like my grayscale existence here had found a loophole in these curtains. I closed my eyes and then opened them again slowly, glaring at the offending curtains. If my existence was to be grayscale, than I would like it to be at least consistent, thank you very much.

And they were grey again. I narrowed my eyes again and finished pulling my shirt on.

* * *

The kitchen was when I noticed another surprising oddity. Someone was humming a slow, happy tune. I turned into the kitchen warily. Neither Sasuke nor I make much noise.

She was sitting on the counter. The window was open, and the morning light filtered through, bouncing off her hair and eyes. Her heels made a repetitive banging on the side of the counter as she swung them back and forth. She smiled at me brightly.

All the colors of the morning leapt at the chance to push through the grey. The red curtains, the green dishtowel, the yellow daffodils outside, and the faded blue checked counter. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the umbrella girl's eyes sparkle and dance; she was so happy that I had seen the colors.

_I'm happy I saw them, too. _The other voice, the quiet, young voice that tells me to run meekly proclaimed from the depths or my mind.

For once, the rational part of me was silenced by the color. Perhaps it wasn't the rational part, after all.

"Good morning! It's rather nice out, isn't it?" She sang out. The sound startles me, and the colors faded when I blinked. She must've noticed, because she frowned slightly; a slight turn of her lips. I shook my head a bit, I must be tired.

"Yes…" I agreed with her earlier statement. She nodded, Shiro was back again. She hopped off the counter and then I noticed that with her feet bare, she was actually much shorter than I'd thought in the first place. I regarded her for a moment before sighing and trudging upstairs to wake Sasuke.

It didn't occur to me that I was fully awake without drinking coffee until I was at the top of the stairs.

* * *

I carefully opened Sasuke's door. Clothes were strewn everywhere, mixed with the occasional old homework paper. I blinked at his class picture that Naruto had glued to his wall.

My brother was crammed against Naruto, Kiba, and another boy named Suigetsu. The small school had mixed grade classes in the elementary building, and a bit removed from the other boys was a fourteen year old named Kimimaro. I took note of the two girls right above Sasuke. Their names were Karin and Ami. Both had taken it upon themselves to become Sasuke's fanclub. The only girls that happened to not bother him were on the other side to the picture. Sakura, Ino (Who used to be in the fanclub until she talked to him and discovered that he was a jerk… foolish little brother), Hinata, Tenten, Shion, and Temari were their names. Ino was Deidara's younger sister. He was constantly complaining about her. I took a glance at the names at the bottom of the paper.

_Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Kiba Inuzuka, Suigetsu Hozuki, Kimimaro Kaguya, Gaara Subaku, Shikamaru Nara, Karin Oto, Ami Usuki, Ino Yamanaka, Sakura Haruno, Hinata Hyuga, Tenten Tamura, Shion Fujimura, Temari Subaku, Kankuro Subaku, Rock Lee Masukawa, Neji Hyuga, Shino Aburame, Juugo Oto. _

I turned away from the list and picked my way through the messy clumps of clothing and paper until I was next to Sasuke's old bunk bed. I looked at the bottom bunk, trying to see if it was made underneath all the clutter. I used to share a room with him, and since he was my cute little brother I let him have the top bunk until I moved to my other room when I was eight. My space had always been immaculate, and the contrast between Sasuke's bunk and mine was like night and day (_like mother and father (like the umbrella girl and- stop_)). Mother used to say that it was like a line had been drawn in the middle of the closet, floor, and even the air between the top and bottom bunks. I lay down on my old bunk, springs creaking and the clutter shifting.

I poked the bottom of his mattress. And again. And again. And again. This was our routine, I would lay here and poke the thin mattress until he was bothered enough to get up.

"WHAT-MRFF!!???" He finally yelled, and I hastily scrambled off the bunk and down the stairs before he could tackle me. This was a usually silent escapade, but today on behalf of the colors (_and her_) I let a small chuckle escape my lips. I proceeded to sit down at the table where Shiro now sat staring at the frayed tablecloth. I sipped the coffee that I had grabbed off the counter as if I had not just woken my foolish little brother.

She looked at me quizzically, one elegant blue eyebrow raised. I glanced back at her innocently, coffee halfway raised and eyes wide. She rubbed her bleary eyes and giggled a bit. I found it interesting that she now seemed to be a mix on the umbrella girl and Shiro, imagination and reality. She slipped her hand into her coffee cup's handle, cradling the mug with both hands. She closed her eyes, obviously savoring the warmth that the warm coffee gave off.

A few moments later, I realized that I was still staring.

* * *

"Well, I should go. Hideo will attack me as it is… and Hana will kill someone. 'Bye!" she said, wearing what she wore yesterday and her umbrella. That umbrella was in use already, but it was not a cold rain; rather, a warm sprinkle. Noticing this, she smiled and motioned for Sasuke to come closer. He ran over to her, and she held the umbrella to cover both of them. I leaned on the door frame, watching my brother.

When that mischievous gleam reached her eyes, I knew Sasuke was going to get drenched. I just knew.

"Sasuke… Have you ever played in the rain?"

He stared at her as if she was mad. Shaking his head, he looked at her warily. Perhaps he had caught that gleam…

FWOOMP! I umbrella whooshed shut, and she laughed at Sasuke's expression. His eyes were wide and his mouth slightly open. She giggled again and twirled around in the street, making droplets of water become displaced from their respective puddles. I continued to watch as Sasuke was grabbed by the hand and spun around until he was dizzy. She danced around until she noticed me standing there. The devilish gleam and daring smile were still in place on her face, and I knew that I, too, was going to get wet. Very, very wet.

She leaned down to whisper something in Sasuke's ear, and a slow smile split his face. While I was glad to see him so happy after so long, I blanched at the fact that she was plotting something. Sasuke, dripping wet, slunk over.

"Hey Itachi," he started, grinning, "Shiro says you look like you need a hug…"

Yeah, I was wet and she laughed again, only this time, we did too.

* * *

Not long after that, I found myself sitting in father's chair reading. On the weekends (when I was bored) I would study a bit to make sure I never fell behind in any class. Math came easily for me. Calculations would come naturally and numbers weave complex problems that can be dissembled after a minute or two.

Only, today I couldn't concentrate. So, I got up and strode upstairs to put my books back where the belonged. When I come into the grey room, I glanced around to see if there were any colors I hadn't noticed. There were none.

* * *

Mondays were always horrible. For me, and everyone else. School was hot and the ceiling leaked. The next classroom had young children in it and they were _loud_. I now had a headache and so did Deidara. We shared the same class along with Hana, but Hana didn't have a headache because she _never _got headaches.

"Ino stole my lunch, un. I think dad forgot to pack hers today…" Deidara complained quietly, as to not worsen his headache. Hana snorted, and his eyes slid over without him actually have to remove his head from the desk. Her bold golden eyes glared right back.

"Why didn't you pack your own, idiot?" she said, and let that sink in before continuing, "You also could have just asked us if you wanted to share. Itachi never eats anything, my mom packs way to much, and… well, she'll be here in a minute."

We both stared at her. For different reasons, of course; Deidara because of her offer and myself because of her last mumbled statement. I just could not see the umbrella girl coming to school. However, it did make sense. She was our age, she had to come. It was the law.

"Quiet class!" Our teacher, Anko, tried. She stood at the front of the classroom in an all-dominating pose, legs spread and hands on her hips.

The majority of the class kept talking. I suppressed a groan. Anko's tendency to yell was not going to help my headache (Which was really most likely a migraine).

"HEY! I SAID QUIET!!" she yelled. I winced, resting my head on my desk.

They _kept talking_. Those with half a brain did not.

Anko closed her purple eyes, nose wrinkled in distaste. The class kept giggling and talking loudly. Her eyes snapped open suddenly, "SHUT UP YOU MAGGOTS OR I'LL MAKE SURE YOU **NEVER GROW TO BE TWENTY!!!**"

They all shut up this time.

"We have a new student. She's staying here for a bit, so she'll continue classes with us." Anko went over to the door, poked her head out, looked like she was going to shout, and then promptly looked surprised. She nodded at the person outside the door (_Shiro, who else, you idiot_) and then walked back in.

Shiro trailed after the scary woman quietly. She was quiet in step, silent in posture, and yet so loud in color. The whole class stared at her.

She was wearing a light pastel orange halter top and a black skirt that ended just above the knee. No jewelry clinked against the small circle connector that held the halter strap in front.

Her rain boots were the same orange as her shirt.

The murmur that rippled across the room excluded only myself and Hana. Deidara beamed and said, "How artistic!"

Shiro just clutched her denim messenger bag to her chest, aqua eyes flitting across the room. They finally rested on Hana and I in the corner. She shyly lifted her hand and waved slightly.

"This is Shiro Shinigami. She's staying with the Inuzukas here for a bit. Please be kind to her (or die). Shiro, you can sit with Hana, ok?" Anko said, clapping the girl on the back roughly. Shiro stumbled forward and swiftly sat herself down behind Hana in the corner. It didn't help the fact that her color drew every eye in the room.

Her eyes crinkled at the corners and she squeaked, "Hi everyone."

* * *

**Ah, Anko. I loves her so much. I want to be JUST LIKE HER when I grow up! R&R please!** **Reviews are delicious and I feed them to my plot bunnies!**


	7. Chapter 6

**Cue on the Back in Black music. **

**I would have thanked reviewers, but I have none. SADNESS!! And just on a side note… Danzo and his stupid Sharingan should die. Seriously, only Kakashi is allowed to have one Sharingan eye. NOT DANZO THE NEIGHBORHOOD CREEPER. And now he's Uchiha Shisui? The hell?!

* * *

**

~The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain~

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It seemed to me that she had lost her mind. Honestly, now people would bother us all day. Orange is not, and never will be, a quiet color. Naruto wore it, and he is constantly plagued by Ami and Karin about it.

"Hey Shiro!" Hana said brightly to the blue-haired girl. Shiro stared at her, aqua eyes wide and flicking back over towards Anko. _Well, the woman _was_ scary…_

"… Don't worry, Anko's cool if you don't talk during class. She's just… loud." Hana added, seeing the obvious caution.

Shiro gave her a look. _Ok-if-you-say-so… (Mother used to give those expressive looks to father all the time)_

_

* * *

  
_

During class, she doodled constantly. Dragons, wolves, various kanji, giant foxes with nine tails, and proud warrior priestesses adorned all her papers. After a moment of consideration, she drew a bird with swirl designs on the feathers. It figured that the umbrella girl would be good at art.

And she was.

* * *

Lunch; for myself, Deidara, and Hana; is always spent outside and away from the noise of the class. Today was no exception. The rain had let up and now a deep fog blanketed Amegakure. It was hard to see a few yards in front of you.

She was humming again, and skipping ahead of us. Her denim schoolbag swung as she moved, methodically hitting her back every time she lurched forward.

When I heard that malicious giggling, I knew my headache was going to return.

"Itachi?"

I turned slightly in Hana's direction, indicating that I was listening and also that I had noticed as well.

She frowned, and nudged Deidara, who had probably heard it first. He had first-hand experience with that horrible sound, from living with Ino and also from the long-standing problem with his hair. Boys in our class liked to bother him about it.

"_Hey, look! It's She-Man and He-She!"_

The annoying nicknames for Hana and Deidara stuck until about seventh grade. I decided to take the initiative to fire back at the bullies, seeing as their efforts against them seemed to not stick (Hana had tried her worst).

Anyway, it's safe to say that those nicknames are now taboo in our presence.

"Well, well. If it isn't the new girl…" The words 'new' and 'girl' were spat out like a curse, "How are you, _new girl_?" Two girls (_I forgot their names…_) emerged from the fog in front of us.

"I'm just fine. You?" She said, smiling brightly. She stood straight and looked the brunette and the blonde in the eyes.

Hana and Deidara both choked and started coughing in sync.

The two girls looked a bit shocked. Hana swore some strands stood up through their hairspray… but Deidara disagreed. I heard them whispering behind me.

The eyes narrowed again soon enough, "We were fine before someone ugly came to our class… right?"

Hana smirked suddenly, and I knew those girls had stepped on the wrong ground. Shiro didn't move, just stood stock- still. Hana stalked up and started to tug at the bright orange hair- ties in Shiro's blue locks. She protested, trying to turn around and brush the Inuzuka girl off.

It didn't work. Soon, all her braids and her ponytail were out. Even her barrette holding her left bangs back was tugged out.

Two girls nearly had a heart- attack that day as Hana cackled like a madwoman behind a bewildered Shiro.

"Ugly? UGLY?! YOU STUPID IDIOTS IS _SHE UGLY?!_" Hana screeched at them before lapsing into another evil laughing fit. When she regained her breath, she added, "Ask your boyfriends whose ugly before you came here, makeup- face?"

Note to self: One thing about women is that they apparently judge beauty by hair.

How odd. My brother tells me that there is a boy in his grade, Neji Hyuga, who secretly obsesses over his hair.

I winced when Hana turned on us, "HEY! You two! Tell me, my dearest boys-who-are friends, is she ugly? HMMM??!!!" She spun Shiro around until she faced us (_after a few extra turns_).

Deidara sneezed hurriedly and exclaimed, "It's art, un!" When I was silent, Hana got up in my face and glared at me until I shook my head.

In the background, Shiro looked horrified , face red and hair free.

She did look nice that way.

(_Father always used to tell us boys that 'cute' was an evil word. He always told mother she looked cute when he though I wasn't listening_)

* * *

When class started again, she had put her hair back up.

When the shrill school bell rang, we waited until Anko handed out some paper to leave. I noticed that most students who usually ran out the door with the bell stayed.

Hana read the paper as we walked home.

"(CENSORED)! Oh god no!" She stopped in mid-stride. Deidara put his books down to grab the paper out of his mouth (he had no where else to put it). He went pale, and Hana started to spaz, waving her arms around wildly.

"What's wrong, Hana-chan, Deidara-kun? Can you not dance?" Shiro looked bewildered, eyes wide and innocent.

Then it hit me.

It was the dance. The _prom_.

I actually didn't care all that much. If you go without a date, you are considered a loser. Especially if you were a guy.

I still didn't care.

The two yelled in her face, "NO!! I DON'T HAVE A DATE!!!" The word 'date' was drawn out in agony. Shiro looked frazzled.

When she recovered from the sound- shock, she smiled and replied, "Then why don't you two go together?"

Her aqua eyes had that tint of mischief in them again.

Deidara choked violently and blushed an interesting shade of violet.

Hana went silent for once and her face went so red you couldn't see her clan tattoos anymore.

She smiled brightly.

And then, hana struck back… at her, and whatever guy happened to be standing there. Which was me.

Hana suddenly straightened out of her hunched stupor, "Fine. I'll go to the prom with Deidara if you two come too."

"Okay." The blue-haired girl fired back.

"…On one condition."

We both simultaneously cocked our heads.

"You go… AS A COUPLE."

("-Un.")

Shiro blushed a previously unknown shade of crimson and her triumphant expression disappeared.

Till this day, Hana still tells me I blushed too. I don't believe her. She's unstable.

Hana grinned wolfishly, making Tsume's expressions seem pale in comparison.

"THEN IT'S A DEAL!"

"I didn't agree to this, un."

"Yes, you did."

"… What, un?"

"I said you did. Therefore, you did. Ah, SHIRO! HEY, SHIRO, LET'S GO SHOPPING TOMORROW!!"

Standing in the middle of the sidewalk looking shocked with your frantic best friend wasn't exactly dignified, but it happened to me anyway.

* * *

"Hey Itachi, you going to the prom?"

Sasuke received a blank stare in reply. He sighed.

"Sorry, it was stuck in my head. Ami and Karin just wouldn't shut up about it all day. My brain is kinda fried."

I wondered how I should reply to him. Yeah, I just got forced into going by a psycho?... Somehow I didn't think that would be very fitting. I sat down and glared at the ceiling.

But I wasn't angry. Not at Hana, an especially not _her_.

It wasn't her fault.

"… Sasuke, never be friends with a pushy female."

"…_What_?"

"…"

"……"

"……… Hana forced me to go."

"Itachi, everybody is going to think you're a loser because you have no date."

"I have one."

There was a shocked silence before a reverential, "_WHO_?!"

"…… Shiro."

Instead of an shocked silence, there was a openmouthed, drooling silence. Unfortunately, there is a difference.

"Oh."

"Hana forced me to go with her, because she's going with Deidara."

Sasuke eyed me cautiously, "You wanna add an 'I'm screwed' to that? That's like… like… like me going with _Sakura_!"

"No, it's not."

"Yes, it is!"

"Foolish little brother, I have not had a crush on her since fifth grade. Therefore, there is a difference."

"…WHAT!??"

I smirked and shifted my gaze from the white ceiling, "You heard me."

He didn't talk to me at dinner that night.

* * *

**Well? I'm alive. Here is proof. And I wish Danzo (SHISUI) would die already. Even if that means Naruto kills him. Or Sasuke. JUST DIE!!!**

***maniac fangirl… with sword. Sasuke's sword.***

**

* * *

  
**

**The next chapter:**

_**The lives of our dearest younger brothers and the two girls on a frilly mission.**_

"_**Shiro, it's PERFECT!!!"**_

"…_**Hana, that's… that's…"**_

"_**Just kidding, that's lingerie."**_

_**Silence + Blush.**_

"_**HA! YOUR FACE IS SO FUNNY!!"**_

_**

* * *

  
**_

"_**Oi, Sasuke… what are you doing?"**_

"_**Nothing!... Nothing AT ALL."**_

"_**Hmmm… are you drawing… is that…? A bunny… er, something? With a sword? No, a **_**pink **_**rabbit with a tutu?"**_

"_**Just out of curiosity, are you high?"**_

"_**AS A KITE!!!"**_


	8. Chapter 7

* * *

**Hey, guess what? I'm still alive! And Sasuke, Danzo, and Madara are all still asses!**

**Disclaimer: Do I look like a man? … Then again, you wouldn't know, would you?**

**Today, we will have a bit of a change in POV. Itachi is still our beloved main, but Sakura is taking charge of our younger buddies. We'll have a bit of Hideo as well as Kiba. Love them. LOVE THEM!!!!

* * *

**

~The Umbrella Girl :: In The Rain~

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-

-

When girls go shopping, I do not understand, nor will I ever understand, why they insist on dragging those who do not wish to go shopping with them. Indeed, it is a most ridiculous notion, but I was standing with Deidara outside one of the few boutiques in Amegakure.

It was raining.

After a while, Deidara developed some kind of cross between a cough and a sneeze. I myself was drenched, but for some reason Deidara refused to go inside.

"Come on Itachi, have some manly pride. It's a _dress shop_. Never in my life will I ever set foot in such a-"

"Hey guys, you really need to come in, we need some opinions and oh my god you're drenched get your butts in here you can't be sick at the prom." Came a continuous stream of words from the glass door. Hana poked her head out the door, hooked a finger in the back of Deidara's shirt, and dragged him in while reminding me over her shoulder to hurry up.

I followed, closing the smeared glass door behind me.

* * *

The journey to the back of the store was a very interesting trek for both myself and Deidara. For me, I merely noticed how many styles and colors women had to choose from. I personally though a man's life was much more simple: Get a tux and wear it. Black, unless you had either the looks to pull it off or if you have a death wish by bullies.

For Deidara, I believe he told me later that he found approximately fifteen bruises from being dragged haphazardly into clothing racks. Anyway, by the time we arrived near the dressing rooms, his eyes were rolled back into his head and his mouth open gasping for air.

"Oh, Hana, look! I think you'd look great in red, don't you think?" Shiro came from the dressing room near us holding a red gown. When she saw us, she stopped and held the dress in front of her body.

Hana looked somewhere between amused and despair.

"Shiro, you are wearing a dress. IT DOESN'T MATTER, now let me see that!" She snatched the hangar from the other girl's hands.

Shiro blushed. All I may say is that her, ahem, undergarments* are orange. With red borders.

*(**A/N: Her bra was easy to see because she was trying on a strapless. LOL, poor Shiro)**

Deidara coughed, and finally broke the awkward silence.

She ran back into the dressing room, ponytail swinging as she ran. Deidara was muttering about how his brain was now frazzled and that he probably had a concussion from before.

About thirty minutes later, the girls had made their choices and Hana wanted our opinions. (Deidara told me that he thought it was pointless to ask if we liked it when they had chosen already) Hana hauled a blushing Shiro back to their shared dressing room to put on their dresses.

Hana came back first, with red silk swishing around her ankles. The gown she had chosen fit her well (A little too well, Deidara choked when she emerged) in a brilliant crimson with a slit up the side and a simple design with gold sparkles on the cloth.

"Well?" She demanded at us. I stayed silent, it was truly directed at Deidara, her date.

She realized her mistake of asking and her cheeks flushed pink. Deidara was an even more interesting shade of purple than before.

"Uh… You l-look… artistic… un?" He stuttered in reply. They just stood there in another awkward silence until Hana swept away to grab Shiro who was 'taking too long'. The silky fabric sparkled as she stalked off.

"…Deidara."

"…un?!" he squeaked.

"…That was lame."

"What?"

"That was lame. Your compliment."

"No, did you just say, 'Lame'?!"

* * *

My pride was battered and bruised today. One, although I would never admit to it, going into a dress shop actually wasn't what I ever wanted to do. I am in denial. Two, I had to admit that a girl was pretty. In a dress. In a headlock from a scary bargirl.

She _was _beautiful in that white dress. It was like a princess dress, only less wide (Hana would say poofy) at the bottom and the neck was a choker attached to the front of the dress. Underneath the neck there was a teardrop-shaped cutout approximately three inches long and two wide (I didn't measure, I swear).

My mother taught me how to be polite. Back then I believed she was crazy and that girls must be avoided at all costs, but she did not leave out how to compliment a girl (Apparently Deidara did not get the same education).

"WELL, UCHIHA?!" Hana exclaimed loudly, marching over in her baggy t-shirt and ripped cutoffs. She put me in a very painful headlock with Deidara watching in awed silence.

"Hana, please get off so I can answer."

"Oh. Sorry. Reflex?" She pulled back fast, wanting to hear my opinion.

"You look beautiful."

I thank my Uchiha ('Stick-up-the-butt' in Hanaese) genes for enabling me to reply properly without stuttering or blushing or anything foolish like that.

(_She _was_ beautiful. Mother always told me to tell the truth, so I did. Unless, she would always remind me, if the girl is touchy. Tell she's always gorgeous or something like that._

_For some reason, I always associate that conversation with Tsunade. Perhaps because I saw Jiraya disobey the rules on this once._

_It wasn't pretty._)

She smiled brightly and twirled. She giggled.

"Deidara-kun, aren't you going to tell Hana she's beautiful too?" She said in her childish voice (_like bells_). Deidara choked, as he always does when embarrassed.

"Er…"

"Hana-chan, Deidara-kun says you're beautiful!" She exclaimed, causing said blonde to blush until his entire face was red as a tomato.

Hana kicked him, "If you don't say it, I won't know if you actually mean it…"

Deidara took a deep breath opened his mouth, and then hesitated as if in thought. He then leaned over to the Inuzuka girl and whispered something only she could. Her golden- green eyes went wide.

"Are you for real?"

He nodded solemnly, pink still dusting his cheeks.

"… Y-yeah. Sure. Are you…?"

He nodded violently, casting a nervous glanced at me and the umbrella girl.

She smiled, aqua eyes flashing happily. Then she rushed back to change back into her normal clothes.

After standing next to her for a bit, I realized she smelled really good.

Like grapefruit. Or something like that.

* * *

After purchasing their dresses, Hana headed off in the direction of the shoe stores. The only two shoe stores in town. One of which Sukie happened to work at. She previously worked at the grocery shop until the manager kicked her out for harassing customers. So she moved on to her next victim: The shoe store.

Hana marched right in, ignoring the incredulous looks the other girls from our class were giving her. The Inuzukas hardly ever went shopping, but it seems that Hana had a certain aptitude for the activity.

"Well, my dearest everybody, let me tell you something."

There was silence, and all the shopping girls stared at her.

"I LOVE SHOPPING!"

…Never stereotype Hana Inuzuka.

* * *

~(Sakura's POV)~

* * *

Across Amegakure, there was a different group of people. Younger, more immature, and remarkably louder than their older counterparts. Except Hana-nii-chan, of course. Even we cannot live up to her golden standard of loudness.

I wanted to be JUST LIKE HER when I grow up. Well, actually I want to be like Anko when I grow up. She is my adoptive mother, and I love her like… like… I love her a lot, okay!?! Not to mention her boyfriend/husband/whateverthehellheis Kakashi.

I like to steal his crap and lose it. And then laugh with Anko when he tries to find it.

So, anyway, currently we are on the beach and Ino is drooling over the guys that are here. I don't know… she's seems a bit off today. She isn't staring at… well, girls too.

Let me tell you something about Ino. Ino is my best friend. We put the 'T' in tight. She's the 'I', and I'm the 'H' because my real last name is Haruno and not Mitarashi. Nobody cares about the rest of the letters in tight because Gaara hates us and Tenten and Temari… well, we can't choose because we love them both so much.

However, Ino is constantly hiding from people. Because, Ino is my home dog, but I am strictly off-limits because I like boys.

Ino is bisexual. She used to feel bad so she joined Sasuke's fanclub to compensate. I persuaded her to leave because Ami should die (At my hands) and Karin needs to stop trying to be cool. She hides her secret unless she's around me or her brother, Deidara. I like Deidara.

I can pull his hair.

Today, we were waiting with the boys for Naruto, who was late and must have a death wish.

"Yeah, but I'm still right." Kiba's voice broke my thoughts. He must be-

"No, you're not. It's Mindless Self Indulgence. You're in denial, come out of Egypt."

-talking to the new kid, Hideo.

"WRONG!! It's NOT!"

"What, when you go home and ask Hana and find out I'm right, you'll have an epilepsy?"

"NO! I'M RIGHT, MORON!"

"Sure, dog-breath."

"Yeah I- wait,DOGBREATH?!"

"Don't make me switch to pussy." Hideo retorted to the fuming Inuzuka. I rolled my eyes and walked over. I didn't want a headache. Then I'd be grouchy.

"What are you two arguing about now?" I demanded, causing them to simultaneously turn to me.

"Uhh…" The very intelligent answer from Kiba.

"… We're arguing about whether Mindless Self Indulgence is the artist of a certain song." Hideo finally answered vaguely.

I smirked. I could guess what song they were talking about. Ino and I sang to it because it was fun. Even though it's a guy song. Like, about a guy.

Whatever.

"He's right," I told Kiba, "They did sing that."

He narrowed his eyes, "How do you know what so-"

"… I just know. Oh, look there's Naruto and… his… parents…?"

Yes! I love Naruto's parents! They are cooler than _he _is!

"Hey, Sak!" Kiba yelled in my ear. My tender ear. I punched him.

"OW! Why are staring at Naruto? Got a-"

I punched him again.

"Hey, Sakura."

I whipped around and yelled, "WHAT?!" Into Hideo's face. I barely noticed that it was a little close for comfort. I guess it was because he looked so calm/bored, kinda like Shikamaru but more sharp- looking. Kinda…?

_(My brain exploded when I thought of this later_.)

"Please leave some teeth for _me _to knock out!"

He grinned, showing his sharp teeth.

* * *

**Well? R&R!**

**I love Sakura, flame me, but hate on my favorite kunoichi and DIE!!!**


End file.
